Changes
by markaleen
Summary: AU to Backtalk. How Daphne feels after finding out Niles' feelings for her.
1. Chapter 1

**NOTE- I do NOT own any media or characters from Frasier. All rights go to NBC and anyone else associated with it. I am not making money from these stories.**

**I had a very hard time thinking of a title so sorry if it doesn't really fit. Enjoy! ~markaleen**

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><p>Daphne rushed into her room and slammed the door. <em>Dr. Crane has been in love with me for six years? And I am just finding out now? <em>She broke down into tears. She didn't know what to think. So many thoughts were rushing into her head at the same time. How come he never said anything before? How didn't she see it before? She was usually fairly good at sensing these things. And most importantly, why was she feeling the way she did? It was almost as if she loved him the same way… No, she couldn't. She loved Donny. She tried for minutes to believe it, but there was one thing making that difficult; she felt much differently when she thought it was Frasier who was in love with her. When she thought it was Frasier her biggest worry was about hurting him when she told him she didn't feel the same way. But with Niles… no. She couldn't let herself think such things. Not when she was happily engaged to Donny.

She was happy.

Wasn't she?

Yes, she was.

Then why was this bothering her so much?

She sighed. She knew exactly why.

_I'm in love with Dr. Crane… Niles._

He was always so caring and thoughtful to her. He was always the first to notice anything different about her. Whether it was her hair, or an outfit, her mood, or even a new perfume. He was handsome too…

In the beginning she had had a bit of a crush on him. Eventually she moved on. After all he was married to Maris. When they were separated she had thought a couple times about how she and Niles would work out, but then she had to remind herself that he was basically her boss. Even if that wasn't the case, he was of a much higher class then she was. It would be silly to think that a man like Niles Crane would be seriously interested in a girl like Daphne Moon from Manchester, England. So to find out otherwise was a total shock.

She couldn't believe how fast she was feeling they way she did, but there was no denying it. Maybe she never fully got over him. Maybe that was part of the reason she went to him when she had that vision before Donny proposed. Could it have been that Niles was the mystery man in her vision? _Is that why he told me to say no to Donny's proposal?_

She was lost in her thoughts when something suddenly occurred to her…

_He's with Mel._

Everything seemed to have gotten ever more and difficult. She couldn't tell Niles as long as he was with Mel. But even though he was with Mel, she couldn't very well stay with Donny as long as she had feelings for Niles.

Did this mean she had to keep everything inside? She couldn't tell Frasier and Martin, they might tell Niles. And she didn't want to say anything to Donny just yet. Most of her friends wouldn't really understand… other than…

She quickly picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Roz?"

"Oh hey, Daphne!"

"Are you busy? There's something important I'd like to talk to you about."

"Well, I'm getting ready for a date but I can talk. What's up? You sound upset. Is everything okay?"

Daphne took a deep breath, "Roz… I think I'm in love with Dr. Crane…"

"Frasier?" Roz gasped.

Holding back tears she corrected, "Niles." That was the first time she had said his first name out loud in years.

"Whoa…" She want to mention Niles' feelings for Daphne, but it really wasn't her place.

"That's it, 'whoa'?" she snapped.

Roz resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. She could tell that Daphne was upset. "I'm sorry, Daph. I guess it's just a bit of a shock. What about Donny?"

"I didn't dare say anything to him until I talked to someone else first."

"How long have you had feelings for him?"

"A couple years… but that was a few years ago! But now that I know he's felt the same way, I-"

She quickly cut Daphne off, "He finally told you?"

"Finally? You mean you knew? And you didn't tell me?"

"Niles obviously wasn't ready for you to know. He had to be the one to tell you when he was ready for you to know."

"I know…"

"So how did he tell you?" Roz asked anxiously.

"He didn't."

"What? Then who did?" _Probably Frasier_, she thought.

"His brother."

_Knew it. _"Wow! Really?" she gasped trying to act surprised. "How come?"

Daphne sighed, she really just wanted to get to the point. "He doesn't know he did. He took some pills for his back and got all delirious and told me. I'll tell you the whole story later. Anyway, my point is that now that I know, all my feelings for Dr. Crane have come rushing back! Oh Roz, I'm so confused. I don't know what to do. I want to tell Dr. Crane that I know and how I feel, but how can I do that? He's with Mel now."

"Who's Mel?"

"His new girlfriend."

"If she's new then you have nothing to worry about."

"I guess, but from what I've heard he's very fond of her."

"Come on Daph, he's been crazy about you for six years! This girl can't compete."

She was silent for a moment, then she took a deep breath and said, "So you think I should tell him?"

"Definitely."

"And Donny?"

"Obviously you can't marry him if you get together with Niles."

"Yes… I guess I can't marry him even if Dr. Cra- Niles… doesn't have feelings for me anymore. It wouldn't be right. It'd be like-"

"Sorry Daphne, I have to go. My date's here."

"Alright."

"Good luck talking to Donny and Niles!"

"Thanks. Good luck on your date!"

"Thanks! I'll call you tomorrow. Bye!"

"Alright, bye." She slowly hung up the phone and stood up. She had to go talk to Donny.


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is LONG overdue... I had it written for a while but completely forgot to post it. Well here it is now!**

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><p>Daphne nervously walked up to the door to Donny's office. She took a deep breath then slowly knocked on the door.<p>

"It's open."

She took another deep breath and walked in.

Donny looked up and smiled when he saw his fiancé walk in. "Hi honey! I didn't expect to see you."

"Hi, I know. I just had talk to you."

Donny noticed the tone in her voice, something was wrong. He stood up and walked over to Daphne. "Honey, is everything okay?"

Daphne remained silent for a moment, _You have to tell him. It isn't fair to lead him on. You're in love with Niles. _After another deep breath she quickly said it, "Donny, I can't marry you."

He froze. Did he hear her right? Did she really just say that she couldn't marry him? He couldn't move. Daphne knew that she had hurt him. "Donny?"

Quickly he unfroze, "What?"

_Is he really going to make me say it again? It was bloody well hard enough the first time! _"I can't marry you."

"I know, I know I heard you the first time. I mean, why? Why all of a sudden?"

"Donny, this is so hard for me to say this but… I'm in love with Niles."

"Niles? As in Niles Crane?"

Resisting the temptation to roll her eyes, Daphne replied, "Yes…"

"When did this happen?"

Suddenly it occurred to her… _Wow… I'm going to sound pretty bad when I say an hour ago… Am I truly in love with him? Should I have talked to him first? Oh this was just all a big mistake! _She breathed for a minute. _I can't take this back. It's already been said. Maybe me vision was right, maybe I'm just not meant to be with Donny. Whether Niles is the mystery man or not. There is a reason I came here and I have to finish what I started… _"It's been a while…" Not entirely a lie.

After she finished talking to Donny, she took a walk through the park. No matter how hard she tried her mind kept going back to Niles. _Why can't I just get him out of me head? _She had been standing for so long she decided to sit and breathe. _I wish there could be a sign that I should talk to him. Anything! _She felt tears rush to her eyes as she laid her head back. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice, "Daphne? Are you alright?" She slowly looked sat up and saw Niles standing before her.

_That's some sign…_

Niles sat down next to her. "Have you been crying?"

She was ready to say no but she started again, "Yes… Dr. Crane. I have something on me mind and it's about you."

"What is it Daphne?"

"I love you."

Niles looked at her. Did he really just hear the girl of his dreams say that she loved him? He couldn't move, never mind speak.

"Niles?"

_Niles? Now she's calling me Niles? This has to be a dream. _

Daphne was afraid that she had just ruined everything. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I don't know where me head is today."

Finally, Niles was able to speak. "No, no Daphne- I'm so glad you said something. Those are the three words that I have wanted to hear for so long. I also wanted to say them but it just never seemed to be the right time. Believe me, I've tried to tell you. I really have. But I always lost my nerve. But when you got engaged to Donny I knew that my chance was gone forever." _Donny… _that brought up another question. "Do you… do you still plan on marrying him?

Daphne shook her head, "No, I just broke up with him. It was hard but I couldn't lead him on."

It took everything for Niles not to express his joy. However, he did ask, "Would this be a bad time to ask you to dinner?"

"What about Mel?" she timidly asked.

"Who's Mel?" Daphne looked at him with confusion and then he remembered, "Oh, **Mel**. I should probably go break up with he shouldn't I?"

Daphne giggled, "You mean you really want to be with me?"

"Of course I do! I've been in love with you for six years." Niles answered.

"I know." she smiled.

Stunned, Niles asked, "You do? How?"

"You're brother accidentally told me."

"Frasier told you?!" he stood up angrily. "How **dare **he!"

Daphne stood up to calm him down. "No, he doesn't know that he told me. He took tranquilizers for his back and he blurted it out."

"Oh… well I guess I shouldn't be mad at him. I mean who knows, if he hadn't had said anything we wouldn't be here right now."

"Exactly." She smiled and gently kissed him. "So pick me up tomorrow for dinner?"

"Absolutely."

Daphne's vision turned out to be true after all. She wasn't supposed to be with Donny, she was meant to be with Niles. No, she never understood the dragon, but after her first date with him everything felt right. He made her feel happier than anyone else had before.

Sometimes it's worth changing something in your life, even if it's not the easiest thing to do.

The End.


End file.
